As I pulled up to the order board in the drive-through for Lee's Chicken, I was mentally complaining because I was there for the other family members; I wasn't getting anything for me. I placed the order, turned the corner...and there, sitting in the bushes just before the window, was a small, fuzzy, black cat. It made eye contact with me through my windshield and opened its tiny mouth in a meow. I drove forward carefully, watching the kitten (who never broke eye contact), and, when the window opened, I said, "Whose kitten is that?" The guy snapped, "What kitten? That'll be $15.32." I paid him, took the food, put my car in park and pulled on the emergency brake, got out of the car, and scooped up the kitten. It began to purr loudly and settled down on my lap for the ride home.
Bella and Beau, my sisters-rescue-cats, were less than thrilled with the present I'd brought home. So was my husband, who didn't buy the "it jumped through the window" story. I told him it was only temporary--that I couldn't leave the poor thing there to starve and that I'd find a good home for it. When he came into the bedroom and saw the baby, he said, "It's a KITTEN," and went all mushy. I repeated the "find a good home" and he said, "Let's not be too hasty now..."
The kitten turned out to be a healthy boycat, the sisters accepted him, and he found a good home. He's been with us six years now--and he's grown into an enormous, beautiful, loving cat...so it turned out that I did get something (something better than chicken) from my fast-food run after all!
Alcoa, TN
